DNA Testing - know the In's and Out's of it. Genetic Genealogy, a new branch of genealogy combining genetics and traditional genealogy research, is the most accurate tool for the family historian. Family connections can be proven or disproven. DNA testing can support a paper trail which is often in question given the lack of surviving records. Its popularity grows daily with thousands testing monthly throughout the world.

26 July 2012

Roberta J. Estes has graciously allowed me to re-post her interview with Bennett Greenspan, President of Family Tree DNA, regarding his company's partnership with the Genographic Project and their new Geno 2.0 chip.

Roberta has been a professional scientist and business owner for over twenty-five year, and is highly respected in genetic genealogy world. In 2005, with an interest and expertise in genetics for genealogy, she formed DNAeXplain,which provides individual analysis of DNA results and genealogical assistance. In 2009 she teamed with Family Tree DNA to jointly offer Personalized DNA Reports for customers. She manages over twenty DNA projects including the Cumberland Gap Yline DNA and mitochondrial DNA projects and is the founder of the Lost Colony DNA research projects. She also co-administers several Native American and African DNA projects and is an adviser for the Melungeon project.

Bennett Greenspan was gracious enough to call me with the answers to several questions and responses to comments and speculation on blogs and lists today. He wants to thank everyone for their interest and personal support for the ongoing research and the new product. I am putting these in a question and answer format.

Q: Can I purchase the Geno 2.0 kit elsewhere?

A: The Geno 2.0 product can only be purchased through the National Geographic Society. This product cannot be ordered from Family Tree DNA..

Q: Will there be a way to move my Geno 2.0 results to the Family Tree DNA database?

A: As with the original National Geographic product, we plan to have a link on the Geno 2.0 personal page to allow people to upload their results. With the Geno 2.0 deep SNP results, they will be able to enter their Family Tree DNA account number, if they have an existing account at Family Tree DNA, and their deep SNP results will be included with their other tests results on their personal page.

Q: Does Family Tree DNA plan to offer a test that will be more extensive then the new Genographic test for the Y chromosome?

A: No. The most extensive test for obtaining YDNA SNP data is available on the Geno 2.0 chip and Family Tree DNA has no plans to compete with its partner. STR results will not be supplied by Geno 2.0 and all regular genealogical marker tests should be ordered through Family Tree DNA. These two tests go hand in hand.

By way of example, in haplogroup R-M222 – the new Geno chip includes discoveries of at least three unique SNP’s downstream of R-M222.

These 10,000 new SNPs will provide, for almost everyone, one or two additional clades (subhaplogroups) down the tree from where they are located today. For some people, these will reach into a genealogical timeframe, connecting their SNPs and their STR data. The STR tests will then be used to further augment the Geno 2.0 SNP tests for genealogical comparisons within families.

Q: When will the new Y tree be available?

A: FTDNA is vetting the Y tree in conjunction with the Genographic Project and prior to the release of these data. This won’t occur until they will have had enough samples to fully vet the 12,000 tree SNPs, confirming the positions on the tree and that all SNP’s are working correctly.

Q: What is the difference between the full mitochondrial sequence (FMS) test and the Geno 2.0 test for mitochondria?

A: Chips can only tell you what is programmed on them. The Geno 2.0 test is not as complete as the FMS. Geno 2.0 includes all mtdna SNPs approved for research purposes at Family Tree DNA plus all known mutations found in Genbank. The Geno 2.0 chip includes a total of about 3,100 locations, more than any other product using this same technology.

This test is very complete for European-centric haplogroups, such as H. However the test is anthropological in nature, not genealogical. This means that while you will receive your haplogroup assignment to the same level as a full sequence test, you will not receive other genealogical information that could be critically important to your research. (Private SNP’s that are unknown will not be ‘discovered’ via chip testing).

If you want your anthropological information, meaning haplogroup information only, then the Geno 2.0 kit is the way to go.

Geno 2.0 has 50% more mtDNA SNP’s than the next best chip technology for mtDNA. The only thing better is the full sequence test. The full sequence test is the only test that can be universally used for scientific research as well.

Q: There seems to be some confusion surrounding what products to order for what purposes.

25 July 2012

Now that the Genetic Genealogy World has grown accustomed to the recent autosomal DNA testing from such companies as Family Tree DNA and 23andMe, along comes another exciting test from The National Geographic Society.

Ever exploring our past, The National Geographic Society established the Genographic Project in April 2005 which tested indigenous populations around the world to gain more knowledge about human migration. This study allowed the general public to become a part of that scientific research, and it created the Legacy Fund to give back to the indigenous populations for their assistance. These three core components will continue as National Genographic takes us into the next arena of DNA testing.

Building on its world-wide testing, the Genographic Project introduces the Geno 2.0 Test which will revolutionize what we know currently regarding our ancient ancestors.

Geno 2.0 Chip

Since “off-the-shelf” chips were not adequate for Geno 2.0, Genographic designed their own chip. The autosomal and X-Chromosome SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism*) were selected by Eran Elhaik, PhD at John Hopkins, who picked Ancestry Informative Markers (AIMs) from approximately 450 worldwide population groups. Medical and trait SNPs were omitted. This means you cannot determine such characterizes as hair color or diseases from this test, thus not allowing medical or political studies of the results.

Over 130,000 X-DNA and Autosomal DNA SNPs were collected to study gene flow between hominids and modern humans. SNPs from hominids used to design the GenoChip includedPaleo-Eskimo Saqqaq, Aboriginal Australian, Neanderthal, Denisovan, and Chimpanzee.

As AIMs show differences in allele frequencies across population groups, and as these markers are honed over time, the ability to distinguish between populations will be increasingly more detailed.

Autosomal and X-DNA

Geno 2.0 uses 130,000 autosomal and X-chromosomal SNPs including 30,000 SNPs from regions of interbreeding between extinct hominids and modern humans. This Geno 2.0 test compares your result with several of these populations including the Neanderthals and the Denisovan.

Recently, DNA evidence has shown that modern humans inbred with the Neanderthal who populated Western Eurasia. Neanderthal DNA is 99.7 percent identical to humans, and scientists believe that many humans may have inherited 1-4% of their DNA from Neanderthals. Scientists also believe some modern humans inbred with the Denisovans who populated Eastern Eurasia. It is thought that islanders in Papua New Guinea may be distant cousins of the Denisovan. With the discovery in 2008 of a 40,000-year-old finger bone found in Siberian Russia’s Denisova cave of a young girl, referred to as X-Woman, and a tooth of a Denisovan adult, the entire Denisovan genome has been extracted.

Besides the X-DNA and autosomal DNA, the Geno 2.0 test uses an extensive number of SNP markers from Mitochondria DNA and Y-DNA which also will improve the scientific geographic origins of our ancient ancestry by delineating between populations and narrowing the geographic areas where our ancient ancestors were located. This means breaking down a European haplogroup into smaller locations, a wonderful advantage for studying your ancient ancestry and its migration.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)

Geno 2.0 will use the new Phylogentic Tree** from Dr. Doron Behar’s paper A Uniquely Anthropological Approach to Human Origins and Dispersals. Dr. Behar and his colleagues have revolutionized the mtDNA Phylogentic tree so that instead of comparing your mtDNA to the rCRS (Revised Cambridge Reference Sequince), the new RSRS (Reconstructed Sapiens Reference Sequence) will be implemented. The RSRS is a proposed system comparing mitochondrial markers which includes the known Neanderthal sequences. This system gives a more accurate view in that haplogroups closer to our origins will have fewer mutations than those haplogroups which are more recent, thus displaying the haplogroups in a better time-oriented sequence. In the past the rCRS showed fewer mutations for Haplogroup H (the CRS contributor’s haplogroup) with many for haplogroups that are more ancient and closer to Mitochondria Eve, the oldest-known female haplogroup, thus displaying mutations in a better time-oriented sequence.

Y-DNA

About 15,000 SNPs with both new SNPs and SNPs from the established Y-DNA Phylogentic Tree will be included in this test. With these new SNPs, we can expect the Phylogentic Tree for Y-DNA to explode! There will be more Haplogroup subclades than ever before, thus helping testers determine in detail who is more closely related as well as providing younger and more geographically relevant Y-DNA branches. It not only refines the twigs (subclades) on the Y-DNA tree, but will define the relationships between those twigs (subclades). This level of SNP testing will provide a much more accurate age for Y-SNP-based lineage to better clarify Bronze Age migrations from late Neolithic migrations which is important in understanding early history and pre-history.

Your Personal Webpages

Results Page

Your Story Page

Besides your results page, the new Genographic webpages for testers provide a section entitled “Your Story” where you learn more about your branch of the human tree. It gives you a map of the journey your ancestors took thousands of years ago from Africa. You will be able to view the migration map step by step with anecdotal information at each step. As your reach a more recent time, you will be able to add your story to the migration map and connect with others who have done the same. Thus, if you know your ancestor came from Krefeld, Germany in 1683, you can add that fact and see if others who have tested came from the same area. Another section entitled “Who Am I” provides your ancestral make-up, including your percentage of various populations, including Neanderthal and Denisovan.

In summary:

•The Geno 2.0 test is $199.95 with free shipping in the US

•Results are expected to take 4-6 weeks after the initial beta testing is completed

•The Family Tree DNA lab in Houston will do the testing

•All data can be downloaded for your genotype

•Reference populations being used will be downloadable

•For men, the test uses Y-DNA, mtDNA, X-DNA, and Autosomal DNA SNPs

•For women, the test uses mtDNA, X-DNA, and Autosomal DNA SNPs

•The test yields both paternal and maternal haplogroup results for males and maternal haplogroup results for females. Details of the haplogroups are provided

•This test esentually replaces the DeepClade test and takes the haplogroup designation to greater detail, allowing a more specific geographic association with the terminal SNP

•A Migration map and a frequency distribution map for your genotype gives you specifics about your haplogroup and helps you understand the results

•The new website will allow you to enter information about your lineage and see the same from your matches

•You can e-mail those near matches who are related to you through the site, but know that these matches are on an anthropological time frame and not a genealogical one

•You can share your information on various social media such as Facebook and Twitter

•You can transfer your test results from National Genographic to Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) at no charge

•Genographic will e-mail everyone who has transferred their original test to FTDNA to notify them of Geno 2.0

•Existing consents with FTDNA to manage testers’ results will not be useful for this test as a new DNA sample must be taken

Some features will not be available at launch, and many others will be introduced in the coming months. Besides, the emphasis on DNA, Genographic will announce a new structure for funding their Legacy Project and place a greater emphasis on educational initiatives, called GenoThreads.

* SNP. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms are special markers geneticists use to determine a person’s twig on the world family tree.

** Phylogenetic Tree. The Phylogenetic Tree is the world’s family tree and is expressed in an alternating series of letters and numbers, such as U5a1a1. The letter U is the branch and each consecutive number or letter is a twig branching from the previous twig. Both Y-DNA and mtDNA have Phylogenetic Trees.

10 July 2012

Family Tree DNA announces some great Webinars.I personal know Elise who has written and who conducts them.

Family Tree DNA partners with Relative Roots to offer quality, convenient and affordable Genetic Genealogy education to Family Tree DNA customers! Webinars (web-based seminars) are an option for our customers to learn more about our tests and your own results.

How it Works
Attend our live or on-demand webinars (web-based seminars) from the comfort of your own home! You’ll view the presentation using your own computer and listen to the presenter using your computer speakers or telephone. Attendees of our live webinars are able to ask questions just as if you were attending a presentation in-person. Registrants of our on-demand webinars can access a recording of our live webinars at a time that is convenient for you. Each webinar session lasts 60-90 minutes.

Stay tuned for more topics to be added to the schedule in the coming months!

Cost
Introduction to Genetic Genealogy - FREE!
Demystified series is - $10 each, or 3 for $25
Starting and Managing an FTDNA DNA Project is $10

Family Tree DNA Discount
Webinar attendees will receive a limited-time discount on select new tests and upgrades to help offset the cost of attending the webinar. A coupon code will be provided at the end of each live webinar and will also be available to those who view the on-demand recordings.

Webinar Schedule
Our core webinars are currently repeated every month. Following is the webinar schedule for July & August:

Relative Roots is a Florida-based genealogy consulting and education company, owned and operated by Elise Friedman. Elise became a Family Tree DNA customer in 2005 while working on her own genealogy brick walls. She quickly became a proponent of genetic genealogy as a tool for genealogists, and today she's a volunteer administrator for several surname, geographical and haplogroup projects at Family Tree DNA. Over the years, she has given presentations on genetic genealogy at a variety of genealogy society meetings and genealogy conferences. Then earlier this year, Elise took her presentations online and began offering genetic genealogy webinars through her company, Relative Roots. Family Tree DNA is very pleased to now have Elise as our education partner so we can offer this new educational opportunity to our customers.

Emily Aulicino

Genetic Genealogist

Welcome to My Genetic Genealogy Blog

Genetic Genealogy is a wonderful resource for the family genealogist or historian and is growing daily! From time to time I will post URLs and books that can be helpful. My blog is my personal venture and is selective in its contents. It is not a reflection of the International Society of Genetic Genealogy.

I am the Northwest Regional Coordinator for the International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG*) and manage twelve DNA Projects and several email lists on Rootsweb and Yahoo. I am available to speak at any function regarding Genetic Genealogy and on writing one's memories and family stories. ......For my DNA Projects, I prefer using Family Tree DNA. You can order a test kit by clicking on the FTDNA logo below.

You are welcome to email me at: aulicino@hevanet.com using the Blog's name in the subject line, if you have any comments or questions.

-------*ISOGG is a non-profit organization designed solely to promote and educate the public about DNA testing in regard to genealogy. Membership is free, but tell them that Emily sent you! See: www.isogg.org --------------

Best wishes and visit often,Emily

Presentation Topics

Introduction to Genetic Genealogy: DNA Your Paper Trail

Autosomal DNA and Chromosome Mapping

Becoming a DNA Project Manager

Care and Feeding of a DNA Project

Establishing a DNA Interest Group

Writing Your Childhood and Family Memories: A simple technique

NOTE: Custom Topics available upon request

Genetic Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond by Emily D. Aulicino

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Family Tree DNA - Click Logo to order a test

To Order at DNA test kit from FTDNA through this blog

...1. Click on the FTDNA icon search button (above)....2. Enter the _(your surname here)_ surname in the upper right where it says: SEARCH...3. On the next page, click on the surname you chose in #2....4. Follow any instructions. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on JOIN.

NOTE: If you are not certain there is a DNA project for your surname or if you are only testing your mtDNA (female line), put the name: CAMPANIA in the search field. This is one of my projects, and I will find you an appropriate project when your results arrive...........You want to join through a project to get the cheapest rates.

To subscribe, click on POST arrow.

Followers

Presentations

.....Presentations for both the Genetic Genealogy and for the writing sessions are normally two hours, but can be adapted. I prefer an computer projector for with a screen and a table for displaying my DNA book and/or writing booklet......Your group can photocopy the handouts or I will do so for $.05 per side. If speaking within the general area of Portland, Oregon I do not charge for mileage or travel expenses. Outside of the general Portland area, I do require the IRS amount of $.56 per mile. If I need to stay over night, a motel room or staying with a non-smoking female will be necessary......Although, as a member of the International Society of Genetic Genealogists (ISOGG), I cannot ask for a speaker's fee for the Genetic Genealogy presentations, but I can accept an honorarium. This is not the case with the writing classes. $75 is the standard.Email: aulicino@hevanet.com

Recommendations and Compliments

Genetic Genealogy

"Emily Aulicino is one of the most dynamic people I know. Her energy and enthusiasm has helped make Oregon the largest member per capita region in all of ISOGG. Emily’s educator background is apparent and complimentary to her speaking engagements which create a presentation that is easy-to-understand for any novice. Her reputation has made her an immensely popular speaker throughout the Pacific Northwest which has resulted in nationwide requests. Emily is a proven leader who welcomes a challenge. She manages many people and projects with skill and ability that can only be innate. I have the utmost confidence that Emily will excel at any task presented to her and I look forward to many more years working with her."-------Katherine Borges, Director of the International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG)

Unsolicited Comments:

Barbara in Washington wrote:I just wanted to touch base with you and tell you how impressed I was with your lectures today. They were fun and up, and you were able to explain the DNA process to me in terms that I could understand.

"Memoing" My Memories

130 Topic Booklet for Sale

"Memoing" My Memories - Unsolicited Testimony

Rhonda in Oregon writes:The writing tip you gave us Thursday is great! I went right to my stash of journals (I have trouble journaling, but love the books!), and made a page for every year since my birth year.I’m very excited to start writing my memories down. Thanks again for a fantastic tip!!

Anne in Michigan writes:"So many times I have sat down and tried to write out my life's story. I got so bored with myself that I never got more than a few pages done. This method has totally changed my outlook and has renewed my lifelong interest to write about my life so that my children will have something to remember me by.I am psyched, pumped and ready to go now!”

Beth in Texas writes:“I am finding the topics very helpful in writing about things I would have never thought about before. These topics give me an opportunity not to dwell on the unhappy times in my life, and remember some of the less important, but memorable topics that I'd like to pass on to my children. I'll still write about unhappy times, but they will be sprinkled in with other memories.”

Jan in Kentucky writes:“Emily, you do so very much for so many, and it is so appreciated! You also have broken my writing block, and I appreciate that...if not for you, I don't know that I would have had the heart to return to it. You truly are doing a lot of good with that list of yours and the effects will be known for years and generations for so many. I think sometimes we just need to tell you that.”

Bob in Sherwood, Oregon writes:THANKS to you I started writing my "story" last Friday. If it wasn't for you I probably wouldn't have started it. It's all your fault...You, You, "Inspirator", You! Telling usto write in "pictures". If I started it prior to your presentation it would have begun... "I was born on October 29, 1944 in Jamestown, New York". Needless to say you had a GREAT impact on my writing.

Bill in New Jersey writes:Just a short note to says thanks to you, Emily, for the prompts. I especially like the way in which you write the suggestions to go along with the prompts.

Books About Childhood Memories and Family Stories

As most of you know I seldom read fiction, and as a result, I am interested in books that are historical in nature and/or tell the stories of people's lives. The following list is some books that I have read which are by people I know, people who are related to me, people I have met, and people with whom I've corresponded for a time. Proudly, I have each author's autograph, and I'm beginning to think of this as a new collection/hobby of mine! .

Each of these stories have great struggles and challenges. Some are of childhood while others occurred when the author was an adult. I hope that you will find them interesting as I have. They are truly a slice of our American Life!

Childhood Shadows: The Hidden Story of the Black Dahlia Murder by Mary Pacios

Son of Scarface: A Memoir by the Grandson of Al Capone by Chris W. Knight

Run Jane Run: A True Story of Murder and Courage by Jane Wells

Somehow, We'll Survive: Life in Japan During World War II Through The Eyes of a Young Caucasian Boy by George Sidline

About Me

Emily is available for Presentations regarding Writing Your Family Memories and Childhood Stories.
----- Learn to WRITE ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD AND FAMILY MEMORIES using a quick and simple technique. Learn various organizational ideas and writing tips. ------- BOOK FOR SALE on writing your memories at workshops or by mail (Spiral bound; 144 pages on heavy vellum; 130 topics with writing tips and organizational ideas).
Emily is also available to give presentations on Genetic Genealogy. See the following blog for more information: http://genealem-geneticgenealogy.blogspot.com/
--------- EMAIL for further details on either topic:
aulicino@hevanet.com